Experience

University of California, Berkeley

Developed a simple, efficient, defined and GMP compliant 3D culture system for human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) expansion and differentiation. This system has the potential to change hPSC culture practices and to be the first cost-effective approach for producing clinical-grade cells from hPSCs at various scales, resolving a major challenge that currently limits the applications of hPSCs or their derivatives in drug discovery, tissue engineering and cell therapies.

Created a completely defined, small-molecule-based protocol that can efficiently convert hPSCs into dopaminergic (DA) neurons within the 3D culture system, resulting in a GMP compliant bioprocess for making sufficient DA neurons for future clinical trials (~1011-12 cells) and other industrial applications. These cells are currently being tested for treating Parkinson’s in rats.

Researched on engineering protein ligands for activating or inhibiting the canonical Wnt signaling.

Developed and demonstrated the concept of cell-mediated gene delivery. Non-viral gene delivery nanoparticles were loaded into protease degradable hydrogels. Cells were transfected only when they degraded the hydrogels and uptake nanoparticles around them.

Developed a universal process for loading concentrated, un-aggregated and active polyplexes into various hydrogels (up to 5mg pDNA/mL hydrogel tested).

Indentified the intracellular targets for three small molecule inhibitors of Rapamycin (SMIRs) using affinity chromatography plus protein mass spectrometry.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Systematically studied the early stages of polymer spherulitic crystal growth. The birth of the embryo nuclei, the growth & branching of the founding lamella were observed in-situ and real timefor the first time.